Ratchet-wrench.



J. E. HITT.

RATCHET WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 19121 Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

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JOEIN E. HITT, F GOODLETTSVIIiLE, TENNESSEE.

nArcHnT-wnnncn.

To all whom, it mag concern:

' Be it known that I, JOHN EJHITT, cltizen of thevUnited States, residing .at Goodlettsville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet- Wrenches, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches and more 'articularly to that type of wrench common y known as a ratchet wrench, and the object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the above described character in which the chuck or nut'engaging member is provided with a relatively large socket adapted to receive one of a plurality of members provided with nut engaging sockets of various sizes, thereby adapting the wrench for use with all sizes of nuts.

A further object of my invention is the provision of an improved ratchet mechanism, and means for adjusting the same to lock the chuck against rotation in either direction desired. And a still further object of my invention is to improve the construction and increase the efficiency of wrenches of the above described character.

With these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the drawingzFigure 1 is a top plan view of my improved wrench with the face plate removed to show the ratchet mechanism, the greater portion ofthe handle being broken away to permit the showing of the wrench upon an enlarged scale; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line-2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing the'locking pawls and the manner in which they are mounted in the head of the wrench; Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I r all the views of the accompanying draw- 'ing by the same reference characters.

The preferred embodiment of -my inven tion includes av hand gri or handle. 10 enlarged at one end to fiirm an integrally formed wrench head 11 in which is inclosed the ratchet mechanism, designated as a whole by the numeral 12, which controls the rotation of a chuck or nut engaging member 13 which is mounted for rotation in the forward portion of the head.

I The head, as shown, is substantially elliptied in outline having parallel upper and lower faces and provided with a transversely formed opening l4 adjacent its free end, said opemng being cylindrical in contour Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed April 23, 1912. SeriaINo. 692,668.

and counterbored to form annular shoulders 15 and 16 spaced from the upper and lower faces of the heads. V

Rotatably'mounted in this opening, is the chuck member 13, the lower end of which is reduced to form an encircling shoulder 17 which seats upon the shoulder 15. The

upper end of the chuck bears against the face plate 18 which covers the ratchet mechanism 12 and which extends slightly inward over the peripheral edge of the chuck memher, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.- This chuck member 13 is provided with a radially formed nut receiving recess 19 which in one position of the chuck registers with a. slot 20 formed through the outer end of the head, The inner face of this nut receiving recess is formed with a cylindrical socket 21, whilethe opposite faces of the recess are grooved longitudinally as shown at 22 in Fig. 4, these grooves forming continuations of the grooves 23 formed in the opposite faces of the slot 20 when the chuck occupies the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The reasons for this particular construction, together with the functions performed thereby willbe hereinafter fully explained.

- The peripheral face of the chuck member 13 is provided with two'sets of outwardly directed ratchet teeth, one set being formed above the other and the teeth of one set being directed in one direction, while the teeth of the other set are directed in the opposite direction, the upper teeth 24, as shown in the drawing, being adapted to hold the chuck against clockwise rotation, while the lower teeth 25 are adapted to lock the chuck against movement in the opposite direction.

1 with the teeth 25 of said chuck member.

The intermediate-portion of the head 11 is recessed to form pawl receiving chambers 26 and 27 formed one upon each side of the head and adapted to receive the doublearmed locking pawls 28 and 29, one of which is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. These pawls are mounted in proper position in the chambers by means of upper and lower trunnions 30 and 31 the former of which are seated in sockets 32 formed in the base of the chambers, and the latter of which are seated I in similar sockets 33 formed in the inner face of the face plate 18. As best shown in Fig. 5, each of these pawls is formed with a pair of oppositely directed arms 34 and 35, the upper arms 34 being adapted for engagement with the teeth 24 of the chuck member, while the lower arms 35 are adapted for engagement It will therefore be seen that the pawls may be swung in such a manner as to bring the arms 84: of both pawls into engagement with the upper ratchet teeth of the chuck or to bring the arms 35 both into engagement with the teeth of the lower ratchet. It will further be seen that in one position of the pawls, the chuck will be wholly disengaged from both arms.

As a means for controlling the movement of the pawls I have provided the wrenchhead with an arcuate shaped recess or channel 36 in which is positioned a bowed leaf spring 37, which is held under tension by means of the spaced pins 38 and the free ends of which are perforated to receive the ends of laterally directed pins 39 carried by the pawl members. The central portion of this spring is perforated to receive the reduced terminal 40 of a lever arm 41 which is seated end of the lever 41 and which is provided adjacent one end with a milled nut 46 by means of which it may berotated to swing the lever from one side to the other, this swinging of 'the,lever acting through the leaf ring 37 to swing the locking" pawls. The ace plate 18 is so constructed as to cover the pawl receiving chambersand the arcuate recess36 and is provided at its forward end with oppositely curved arms ,or

extensions which seat upon the shoulder 16 surrounding the chuck and which extend slightly over the chuck. to prevent its disengagement from the head of the wrench.

In order to adaptthe wrench for employment with nuts of various sizes, I have provided a plurality ofnut engaging members 47, each including a base having a cylindri'cal extension adapted to 'seat in the socket 21 of the chuck and spacedside members provided upon their outer faces with longitudinally extending ribs adapted to engage the grooves of the nut receiving recess of the chuck. As will be readily understood, I form these members 47 with sides of various thicknesses, thereby producing various sized nut receivingsoekets.

In. Fig. 6, I have illustrated a further modification of nut-engaging member, des- .ignated as a whole by the numeral t8 and including a body member 4t9 formed with' a cylindrical extension 50 and ribs 51 for enwise rotation in the wrench head.

By turning the milled nut .46, the lever 41 may be swung toward the opposite side of the head to swing the arm 34, of the pawls,

out of engagement with the chuck and the Ibo arms 35 into engagement therewith, when thawrench will be ready to thread nutsu'pon' 0 ts. -From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and effective form of wrench of the ratchet type, in which there are but few parts,'and these so simply formed and. correlated as to insure perfectactionat all times.

Havin thus described the what-is'c aimed as new is:

invention,

1. A ratchet wrench including a a head apertured to receive a chuck member and chambered to'jreceive a ratchet mechanism, a cylindrical chuck memberrotata-bly mount-L edin said head, oppositely formed sets of. I

ratchet teeth extending from the peripheral face of said member, double-armed pawls, mounted for movement in the chambers of the head, the upper arms of said pawls be;

ing adapted for engagement with one set of teeth of the chuck member, while the'lower armsof the pawls are adapted for engagement with the other set of teeth of the chuck member, means for swinging said pawls Si multaneously to bring either of their arms into operative position, said means including laterally directed ins carried by the pawls, a resilient mem er connected by its ends to'said pins, a lever pivotedinterme- 11,060,185" v r Ht 'diate of length and conneeted-by' one end to said resilient member, and means'zfor swinging the free end ofsaid leve laterally and for locking said-lever in adjusted position. x-

2. A ratchet wrench including-a head, a

' chuck rotatable in aid head, pawls mounted in said head a d having arms adapted for engagement with ratchet teeth formed upon the'chuck', laterally directed pins ex'- tending from said -paw1s, a bowed leaf spring secured by its ends to said pins, a

level pivoted intei'mediateits and secured by one .endJtc the vcentral portion f said spring, a erm shaft threaded through 15; the free end ofsaid lever and jom'naled m f the head, and means for rqtating said shaft. 1

; In testimony wherleoflafiix my signature 'in presence of two Witnesses.

witnessesb A.IR. FRYER, VELLIS R. H111; 

